# Americans, what are your favorite British shows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665 "2015-03-22T05:38:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/101 "2016-10-12T07:47:53Z")
Guilty pleasure: _ **Dempsey and Makepeace** _. Other favorites: _ **Tales of the Unexpected** _. _ **Dave Allen at Large** _. _ **The Good Life** _, aka _ **Good Neighbors** _. Also, _ **That’s Life** _ with Esther Rantzen, when I was living in Britain. ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/102 "2016-10-13T21:51:23Z")
**No, Honestly** _was_ shown in the US on PBS many years ago. The theme song will never be forgotten. **The Flame Trees of Thika** **Pulaski, The TV Detective** , a mystery-comedy with an American star. Another series on YouTube: **Bergerac** I’m watching the new **Poldark** but naturally it’s not as good as the original. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/103 "2016-10-13T23:58:47Z")
_Hyperdrive_. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/104 "2016-10-14T00:23:20Z")
I won’t bother repeating those I like that have already showed up in the thread, but I’ll throw in some of my favorite quiz shows (not sure they’re all still running; i watch them on YouTube): Pointless The Chase Breakaway and all the Big Fat Quiz specials. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/105 "2016-10-14T01:51:32Z")
I’ll add ‘Time Team’ to the list. It is a documentary about archaeologists digging up the British contryside looking for pots, bodies, walls and what ever else they can find to corroborate or establish the history of a location. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/106 "2016-10-14T02:03:09Z")
**The Singing Detective** was one of the absolute best things ever on TV. (Later made into a film, which sucked.) other favorites: Rock Follies Duchess of Duke Street Yes, [Prime] Minister Red Dwarf Fawlty Towers Chef Life on Mars The Office And Monty Python, of course, though it suffers badly from overfamiliarity. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/107 "2016-10-14T03:30:09Z")
> [@toast\_pakora](#): > > **No, Honestly** _was_ shown in the US on PBS many years ago. The theme song will never be forgotten. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kz06eCFF-oI/hqdefault.jpg "Lynsey De Paul - No Honestly") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz06eCFF-oI) ---
**Author:** ![by-tor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/by-tor/32/266_2.png) [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/108 "2016-10-14T03:58:49Z")
Comedy: The Young Ones Spaced Spy: The Sandbaggers MI5 Detective: Bletchley Circle The Chinese Detective Prime Suspect Cartoon: Danger Mouse Swashbuckling: The Musketeers Fantasy: Primeval ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/109 "2016-10-17T02:29:25Z")
COMEDY: Keeping Up Appearances (of course!) Fawlty Towers Monty Python Are You Being Served? Blackadder Coupling Jeeves and Wooster As Time Goes By To The Manor Born The Vicar of Dibley Men Behaving Badly DRAMA: I, Claudius Upstairs Downstairs ( original series) The Duchess of Duke Street Jennie Sharpe’s - Sean Bean is Sex On A Stick. Period. Cadfael - especially the first season with Sean Pertwee Lillie Six Wives of Henry XIII Elizabeth R Pride and Prejudice - 1995 the VERY old Robin Hood series with Richard Greene Lovejoy DOCUMENTARIES and REALITY: ANYTHING with Richard Attenborough Any geology programs by Iain Stewart Great British Bake-Off The World At War Antiques Roadshow Connections with James Burke Ancient Lives with John Romer MYSTERY: Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett version) Midsomer Murders - John Nettles, please Poirot Miss Marple (Joan Hickson) Inspector Morse ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/110 "2016-10-17T14:10:15Z")
> [@HyacinthBucket](#): > > COMEDY: > Keeping Up Appearances (of course!) > Fawlty Towers > Monty Python > Are You Being Served? > Blackadder > Coupling > Jeeves and Wooster > As Time Goes By > To The Manor Born > The Vicar of Dibley > Men Behaving Badly > DRAMA: > I, Claudius > Upstairs Downstairs ( original series) > The Duchess of Duke Street > Jennie > Sharpe’s - Sean Bean is Sex On A Stick. Period. > Cadfael - especially the first season with Sean Pertwee > Lillie > Six Wives of Henry XIII > Elizabeth R > Pride and Prejudice - 1995 > the VERY old Robin Hood series with Richard Greene > Lovejoy > DOCUMENTARIES and REALITY: > ANYTHING with Richard Attenborough > Any geology programs by Iain Stewart > Great British Bake-Off > The World At War > Antiques Roadshow > Connections with James Burke > Ancient Lives with John Romer > MYSTERY: > Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett version) > Midsomer Murders - John Nettles, please > Poirot > Miss Marple (Joan Hickson) > Inspector Morse One more under Documentaries- ANY history program with Michael Wood ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/111 "2016-10-17T15:06:43Z")
To the Manor Born Butterflies Yes, (Prime) Minister All Creatures Great and Small Among others. ---
**Author:** ![nicky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f0a364/32.png) [@nicky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicky)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/112 "2016-10-17T16:54:45Z")
Wow, i think i may be inspired to start a new thread “Embarrassing British cultural garbage which is inexplicably popular in the USA: why?” ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/113 "2016-10-17T19:33:40Z")
> [@nicky](#): > > Wow, i think i may be inspired to start a new thread > > “Embarrassing British cultural garbage which is inexplicably popular in the USA: why?” Because at least 98 percent of what we’ve listed is STILL better than “Keeping Up With The Kartrashians”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/114 "2016-10-17T20:30:56Z")
I didn’t see these, and the search function isn’t working, so in addition to many of the previously mentioned shows: Jewel In The Crown Indian Summers Endeavour Happy Valley The Fall ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/115 "2016-10-17T20:57:51Z")
You guys have picked up on many of the better drama but it is maybe worth looking at from the last 2 years: **Drama** Wolf Hall - of course The Missing - essential (S2 now showing) Line of Duty - very strong River - personally loved this. But you have to get it Peaky Blinders - bonkers Scott and Bailey - new episodes (same writer as Happy Valley) Doctor Foster -clever, Cold Feet - is BACK! Poldark - updated bodice ripper Wallander - the Ken Branagh remake, some love it Endeavour - comfortable Utopia - challening very recently … Victoria and currently … National Treasure **Comedy** Detectorists - just brilliant The Trip - a curiosity **Documentary** Most things by Grayson Perry ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/116 "2016-10-17T21:48:43Z")
> [@nicky](#): > > Wow, i think i may be inspired to start a new thread > > “Embarrassing British cultural garbage which is inexplicably popular in the USA: why?” why so snotty? ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/117 "2016-10-17T22:31:36Z")
For awhile BBC America was showing the Eastenders omnibus show on Saturdays. Great television? No. Fascinating, though. Now BBCA seems to show more American tv than British. CSI Miami? Really? I wish they’d bring back The Kumars at #42. Graham Norton is about the only thing I watch on BBCA these days. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/118 "2016-10-17T22:43:15Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > You guys have picked up on many of the better drama but it is maybe worth looking at from the last 2 years: _War and Peace_ too. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/119 "2016-10-18T01:16:33Z")
[The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4uSKBjySgk&list=PLBKSOTDRapq82J6fm-uvUGFpkc-AlgXVO) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/120 "2016-10-18T03:41:39Z")
I’ve just started watching _ **Afterlife** _ with Lesley Sharp on WNED. Holy crap! Scary as hell!!! :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=7)